Blackhawks Predicted To Finish 8th In Central

Despite another last-place finish in the NHL’s Central Division, there was a lot to like about how the Chicago Blackhawks ended the 2024-25 season. They still came in 31st place, but it appeared as if their young talent was starting to blossom. 

Now, they come into the season expecting to be better, although charging towards the playoffs seems to be a tall task for the young roster. The Hockey News 2025-26 Yearbook & Fantasy Guide is available, and the staff predicts that the Chicago Blackhawks will come in 8th place in the Central Division. 

You can subscribe to get a copy of the yearbook here & check out what it said about the Blackhawks below. 

Excerpt from THN Yearbook:

It would be a liberal use of the word to call the Blackhawks’ 2024-25 season one of progress. Going solely by the standings, Chicago improved to the tune of two wins and nine points, the end result of which was a repeat 31st-place finish.

But squint a bit and you can begin to see the outline of a team with honest-to-goodness promise. The Blackhawks picked up points in five of their final six games last season, winning four of them. They played some of their most exciting hockey during that stretch, and, for the first time since Connor Bedard’s arrival, it looked as though the burgeoning superstar wasn’t the lone weapon in the lineup.

Does it translate to a big leap this season? Unlikely. But the Hawks, under the guidance of coach Jeff Blashill, will look to transition from the easy out they’ve been over the past two campaigns to a legitimate handful for opponents.

OFFENSE

The offense centers on the preternaturally gifted Bedard, who led the Blackhawks in scoring in both his rookie and sophomore seasons. But a multi-pronged attack could see Bedard reach even greater heights. Frank Nazar’s late-season heroics and performance at the World Championship suggest he’s ready to become an impact player, while Oliver Moore looked confident stepping out of the college game and into Chicago’s lineup. The veteran contingent isn’t awe-inspiring, but Ryan Donato, Teuvo Teravainen, and Tyler Bertuzzi must only insulate the youthful core.

DEFENSE

No defender in the NHL is in a greater sink-or-swim position than Alex Vlasic, who is pencilled in as Chicago’s No. 1 defenseman. With Seth Jones out of the picture and Alec Martinez retiring, Connor Murphy is the Blackhawks’ only veteran presence on the back end, which means Vlasic, the next-most experienced defenseman, is going to be leaned on heavily. Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel are going to play more consistent roles, and Kevin Korchinski will push for a full-time NHL return. Still, the blueline’s fortunes come down to Vlasic. No pressure.

GOALTENDING

Once lauded as the future of the Florida Panthers’ crease, Spencer Knight arrived ahead of last season’s trade deadline and immediately turned in an impressive 41-save performance. The rest of the campaign was less awe-inspiring, however, as Knight posted an .885 save percentage in his final 14 games. Granted, there were mitigating circumstances – namely, playing behind the Blackhawks’ ragtag defense – that give Chicago faith the 24-year-old will make good on his considerable upside. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks are hopeful Laurent Brossoit can return from the knee surgeries that sidelined him for the entirety of last season to split time in the crease. Otherwise, Arvid Soderblom is the likely second-stringer. 

SPECIAL TEAMS

The only area the Blackhawks won’t need to see marked improvement is their special-teams play. With Bedard acting as both distributor and triggerman, Chicago was able to author the league’s seventh-most-effective man advantage. On many nights, the power play was the Blackhawks’ sole source of gaining any momentum. The penalty kill was also uncharacteristically solid given the 5-on-5 defensive results. Only 10 teams allowed fewer shot attempts against per 60 shorthanded minutes.

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